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Whether you are just starting out on your journey as a piano teacher or have been developing your career for many years, our have been carefully selected to inspire you and your teaching, to boost your confidence as a musician, a pianist and a teacher, and to strengthen your teaching toolkit.
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We want to share the pioneering work of our Principal Tutors with you and help you see your teaching and performing skills grow, alongside your pupils’ increased enjoyment, whilst making life-long friends.
'As a completely new piano teacher, this course has given me the best "gold standard" approach to successful music teaching. I've still got so much to learn through experience but the PTC has given me the confidence, peer support and external recognition needed to be successful.'
Cert PTC Student
Tutors
The Piano Teachers’ Course is led by International Director, Lucinda Mackworth-Young, and Director, Sally Cathcart, and supported by a team of expert Principal Tutors: Ilga Pitkevica, Beate Toyka, Jill Morton and Kris Worsley. Other specialist guest tutors are also engaged when required, including Graham Fitch, founder of Practising the Piano, Andrew Davidson for Dalcroze, Penelope Roskell, author of The Complete Pianist and Chair of EPTA UK and Richard Michael for jazz piano.
LUCINDA MACKWORTH-YOUNG, International Director
Lucinda directed The Piano Teachers' Course UK 2007-2020, and now, as International Director, continues to be closely associated with the UK course while also developing the PTC internationally, arranging and giving PTC lectures, workshops and tutorials to help inspire and develop piano teaching across the globe. Projects have included work in Portugal, Scandinavia, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Australia and New Zealand.
Well-known for her inspiring, refreshing and practical approach, over the past four decades Lucinda has pioneered Practical Psychology for Musicians, Dance for Musicians and a system for learning to Play by Ear and Improvise in Simple Steps. Read more...
SALLY CATHCART, Director
As PTC Course Director, Sally Cathcart brings her 22 years of experience as a PTC Tutor to lead the organisation into a new period of development,
alongside her colleague, International Director Lucinda Mackworth-Young.
Sally is well-known globally for her innovative, high-quality, research-based approach to piano teaching. In 2015, Sally co-founded The Curious Piano Teachers to help establish a new way of thinking about piano teaching and piano teachers.
She has many years of teaching experience both as a piano teacher and as a classroom music teacher. After her worldwide travels as a Winston Churchill Fellow, Sally founded the Oxford Piano Group as vibrant, collaborative place for pianists and teachers to meet, discuss and share experiences. Read more..
ILGA PITKEVICA, PTC Principal Tutor
Ilga lectures extensively around the UK and Latvia on piano teaching, and on the history and teaching methods of the Russian Piano School, on which her own rigourous training was based. She also often organises masterclasses and concerts in Cambridge. These have included the annual Cambridge Piano Weekends, organised jointly with Gonville and Caius College for several years. Read more...
BEATE TOYKA, PTC Principal Tutor
‘Getting to the heart of music’ is Beate’s teaching philosophy. Exploring a beautiful tone and the shape of a melody right from the early stages is essential, as is the formation of a good technique. Listening to good music is as important as playing it; encouragement at all stages is the key, and she is a devoted teacher from beginners to diploma levels. Read more...
JILL MORTON, PTC Principal Tutor
Jill joined PTC UK in 2022, bringing with her a wealth of experience from her varied career. Not only is she a highly successful soloist and chamber musician but she has taught extensively, given masterclasses in specialist music schools and is also respected as an adjudicator. Her skills as a teacher and lecturer and her insight into playing and performing, make her a valuable member of our team.
KRIS WORSLEY, PTC Principal Tutor
Kris also joined the team in 2022, and he is a widely published music lecturer and researcher. He leads courses in music history and analysis at the Royal Northern College of Music. In addition to his skills as a pianist, teacher and lecturer Kris is an award-winning wildlife photographer.